A recently established partial ceasefire in Ukraine, facilitated by former President Donald Trump, unraveled almost immediately after a phone conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which the terms were outlined. Just one hour following the call, where they agreed upon a limited 30-day cessation of hostilities aimed at reducing attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure, Russia launched a drone assault involving 40 aircraft into Ukrainian airspace. This attack targeted civilian structures, including a hospital in Sumy, located in northeastern Ukraine, and an energy substation in Sloviansk, situated in the Donetsk region.
Ukrainian response to violations
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the media shortly after the drone strikes, emphasizing the immediate violations of the ceasefire agreement. He remarked,
“You see? [There is] already an air alert, so this [ceasefire] is already not working,”
underscoring the challenges of enforcing the fragile truce.
Zelenskyy further asserted that Ukraine would not passively accept continued Russian aggression. “There won’t be a situation where Russia will continue to shell our energy infrastructure and we won’t respond. We will respond,” he stated, indicating a firm stance on Ukraine’s readiness to retaliate against ongoing threats.
Aftermath and ongoing tensions
The situation escalated further when Russian officials in Krasnodar reported a fire at an oil depot caused by what they termed a Ukrainian drone attack early Wednesday morning. Additionally, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that several Ukrainian drones had breached Russian airspace, exacerbating tensions between the two nations amid the fragile ceasefire agreement.
In the highly anticipated call between Trump and Putin, which followed extensive American diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Washington attempted to persuade the Kremlin to accept a more comprehensive ceasefire proposal that had already received approval from Kyiv. However, Russia’s agreement was limited to a partial ceasefire focused solely on civilian and energy infrastructure.
Zelenskyy emphasized the implications of this development, stating,
“Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire,”
and he reiterated that sustained pressure on Russia is essential for achieving lasting peace.